Blue hour

Blue hour in Taipei, Taiwan.

Blue hour in Innsbruck, Austria.

Blue hour. Ystad 2018.

Midtown Manhattan during the blue hour

Praia da Ursa, Sintra, Portugal: A wide-angle view of the seascape during the blue hour
 Blue hour in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

The blue hour (from French l'heure bleue;[1][a] pronounced [lœʁ blø]) is the period

of twilight (in the morning or evening, around the nautical stage) when the Sun is at a
significant depth below the horizon and residual, indirect sunlight takes on a
predominantly blue shade, which differs from the one visible during most of a clear
day, which is caused by Rayleigh scattering.
The blue hour occurs when the Sun is far enough below the horizon so that the
sunlight's blue wavelengths dominate due to the Chappuis absorption caused
by ozone.[2] Since the term is colloquial, it lacks an official definition similar
to dawn, dusk, and the three stages of twilight. Rather, it refers to a state of natural
lighting that usually occurs around the nautical stage of the twilight period (at dawn or
dusk).[3]

Contents

 1How and when it happens

 2Blue hour photography
 3See also
 4Notes
 5References
 6External links

How and when it happens[edit]

The still commonly presented incorrect explanation claims that the Earth's post-
sunset and pre-sunrise atmosphere solely receives and disperses the sun's shorter
blue wavelengths and scatters the longer, reddish wavelengths to explain why the
hue of this hour is so blue.[4] In fact, the blue hour occurs when the Sun is far enough
below the horizon so that the sunlight's blue wavelengths dominate due to
the Chappuis absorption caused by ozone.[2] Even some websites dedicated to
information about ozone still propagate the incorrect claim that ozone does not
contribute to the blue color of the sky,[5] though this effect is much weaker during the
rest of the day, between morning and evening twilight.
When the sky is clear, the blue hour can be a colorful spectacle, with the indirect
sunlight tinting the sky yellow, orange, red, and blue. This effect is caused by the
relative diffusibility of shorter wavelengths (bluer rays) of visible light versus the
longer wavelengths (redder rays).[6] During the blue "hour", red light passes through
space while blue light is scattered in the atmosphere, and thus reaches Earth's
surface. Blue hour usually lasts about 20–30 minutes right after sunset and right
before sunrise. For instance, if the sun sets at 6:30 p.m., blue hour would occur from
6:40 p.m. to 7 p.m.. If the sun were to rise at 7:30 a.m., blue hour would occur from 7
a.m. to 7:20 a.m.. Time of year, location, and air quality all have an impact on the
exact timing of blue hour.[7]

Blue hour photography[edit]

Many artists value this period for the quality of the soft light. Although the blue hour
does not have an official definition, the blue color spectrum is most prominent when
the Sun is between 4° and 8° below the horizon. [6] Photographers cherish blue hour
for the tranquil mood it sets. When photographing blue hour it is recommended to
capture subjects that have artificial light sources, such as buildings, monuments,
cityscapes, or bridges.